Take me to Wonderland
by likethephoenixfromtheashes
Summary: Well, I don't want to reveal anything here...so, if you feel up for something a little bit different...you are very welcome to take a look :) Oh yeah, right...it's a SQ story ;)
1. Chapter 1

_Title: Take me to Wonderland_

_Pairing: Regina Mills/Emma Swan_

_Spoiler: none; except for this is going to be very AU_

* * *

**_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction - I don't own "Once Upon A Time" or any of the characters. _**

**_"Once upon a time" and all its content belongs to Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and ABC._**

* * *

_A/N: Hello everybody!_

_Here I am…again._

_With a new story, which is going to be completely different from "The Beauty of the Beast" (I re-posted the last chapter because I adjusted some things…seems like some people had been a little confused…tried to fix that.)_

_But back to this project._

_I have no idea how long it is going to be, but at this point I don't even worry about it. We'll see anyway._

_This is going to be very AU and the idea might mess with your brains a little at first…means…forget everything you know about Regina and Emma, because this is going to be a little different. But since you all have a pretty good imagination it's not going to be a problem. At least I hope so._

_What else can I say?_

_Well, just lean back and enjoy…I try to keep the updates flowing at a reasonable pace._

_So, you ready?_

_Then let me take you to Wonderland…_

* * *

**Take me to Wonderland**

**Prolog**

She took a look into the mirror and smiled satisfied.

She definitely looked stunning and that had been her intention all along.

The red tube dress fitted like a second skin and her black heels made her legs look endless.

Her blonde, curly mane was an eye catcher and her make-up was as close to perfection as it could get - thanks to her friend Killian, the make-up artist. The very gay make-up artist.

She looked like a wild cat and she loved it.

A knock on her penthouse door announced the arrival of her friends, which caused her to grab her purse and the next second she was already opening said door to greet the ladies she would spend the night with.

A bachelorette party was on the schedule after all.

As soon as the door flung open she caught sight of three dressed up women, who looked at her with wide eyes and dropped mouths, which brought a smirk to her face.

She hardly ever dressed up like she had done for tonight and she enjoyed the effect she had on everyone.

"Something wrong, ladies?"

"Damn it, Emma! You look…hot!" Ruby Lucas stated the obvious and pulled her best friend into a fierce hug, "I take it you are on the hunt tonight…"

Emma just shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe…one never knows who will possibly cross their way". She winked at Ruby and turned to the pixie-haired woman, who was standing next to the leggy brunette, "So, how's the bride to be?"

* * *

They had enjoyed a delicious dinner at "La Fenice"– the most exclusive Italian restaurant in the Boston area.

It was close to impossible to get a reservation there, because it was booked up for months in advance, but the group of four had not to worry about that since Belle's father owned the place.

Now Emma, Ruby, Mary Margaret and Belle were sitting in a black limousine, drinking champagne and giggling like teenagers.

"Where are we going?" the pixie-haired woman asked all of a sudden, because she recognized that she had never been in this area of Boston before.

"It's a secret", Ruby stated quickly, "But I'll promise you…it will be fun."

"Not sure if your definition of fun and mine are compatible", Mary Margaret countered and smiled shyly.

Emma and Belle could not stop themselves from laughing out loud, because Mary Margaret was a lot of things, but she clearly was nowhere near being a provocative adrenalin junkie like Ruby Lucas.

"Calm down…I found this awesome place a while ago and since you are so big on fairytales…you should like it", Ruby commented with a smirk.

Mary Margaret's face immediately lit up at the mention of fairytales and wanted to say something, but was cut short by Emma, "Yes, we all know the story of how you and David fell in love in high school because of this stupid 'Snow White' play…and you can keep your Charming forever…nobody is going to take him away from you. Plus you'll be Misses Nolan in two weeks."

* * *

Regina was sitting in front of her mirror and put the final touches to her make-up.

She was tired after what had been a hell of a day and she prayed that at least the evening would run smooth.

It was highly unlikely, but a woman could dream.

She took a look at the clock and realized that it was time to get dressed.

There was no way she was going to be late. She never was late.

* * *

When Leroy, the driver, finally stopped the limousine Emma almost jumped out of the car. She needed air, because Ruby had started to smoke a cigar at some point and she hated the smell of it.

But when she took in her surroundings her eyes went wide.

Where were they?

"Ruby, what the hell?!" Emma glared at the leggy brunette, who had meanwhile gotten out of the vehicle as well – together with Mary Margaret and Belle.

They were standing in front of a bizarre decorated building, that reminded Emma pretty much of a horror cabinet.

Plus the entrance looked like a tunnel and a sign saying 'Rabbit Hole', shining in bright blue letters, was hanging above said tunnel.

"You really want us to go in there?" Belle glared at Ruby, obviously as uncomfortable as Emma and Mary Margaret was silent altogether.

Ruby could not be serious, but the leggy brunette smiled brightly, "Trust me. This is going to be sooo much fun."

"Yeah, sure…" Emma growled, "Maybe for you."

"Hey, back off now", Ruby snapped, "Mary Margaret said no naked men and stuff…which is a shame…but anyway. I really had a great time here some weeks ago."

Right this moment the tunnel opened and a guy, who looked like The Mad Hatter stepped outside and Ruby's smile grew even wider, "Jefferson!"

"Ruby! It's good to see you again…I was so glad you called" he greeted her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned his attention to the rest of the girls.

"Good evening, ladies! I want to welcome you at The Rabbit Hole…I'm Jefferson, but you can also call me 'Mad' as in the Mad Hatter' and I will be your host tonight", he shook Emma's and Belle's hand before he stopped right in front of Mary Margaret, "You must be the happy bride."

Emma was not convinced of Ruby's idea to go to whatever this was supposed to be, but that guy seemed to be nice. A little crazy maybe, but nice.

"Is everyone ready?" Jefferson asked, watching the four women.

"Absolutely", Ruby seemed to be overjoyed while Mary Margaret and Belle nodded hesitantly.

And although Emma knew better, she decided to trust the judgment of her best friend, because Ruby would not dare to ruin Mary Margaret's bachelorette party or at least that was what she was hoping for.

She eyed the weird Mad Hatter closely, but then she stepped forward before she would change her mind, "Let's go…take us to Wonderland!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello everybody,_

_I've spent a lot of time thinking the last couple of days._

_And while I'm a very private person I decided to share a piece of my past with you today._

_A piece that changed my life forever._

_My cousin, who happened to be like a brother to me, killed himself 5 years ago today._

_And no, I'm not sharing this with you because I want pity or something like that._

_But I'm sharing this because I've realized that there is so much the in the fandom lately._

_Not only in the OUAT fandom, also in some others I'm involved._

_People attacking the writers, attacking the actors, attacking other fans._

_What the hell is wrong with people these days?_

_Writers get threatened because they realize their own visions, not what fans want to see. Actors get threatened for their opinions (and clearly they cannot please everyone), fans get threatened because they support their favorites and some people can't stand that._

_What's wrong with the world?_

_Everybody sees things differently. And everybody should be mature enough to accept that._

_And for the rest we have fanfiction._

_We can bring things to life the way we see it in our own stories._

_Sure, it would be amazing to see SQ happen…or Rizzles to name another example…but if it does not happen…it's not the end of the world._

_We can still write it. And let's face it – there are some great stories and writers out there._

_So, stop the hate and stick together…support each other and your favorite shows to keep them going!_

_Which brings me back to the main reason for this statement._

_We are living in a world, where people are pretty much self-centered and egoistic. And we are living in a world, where bullying becomes worse with every day that goes by._

_A lot of people suffer from depression and something like that. And a lot of people feel left alone._

_Please, try to be a little me observant…and be kind to one another. Help each other. And listen._

_Listen closely, pay attention to the people who are willing to share something with you._

_Sometimes it can make all the difference._

_If anybody ever needs to talk…or needs somebody to listen…please ask for help._

_Life is so very precious, don't throw it away._

_Feel free to send me a message on here…or catch me on twitter (theycallmeraven)._

_So, if somebody feels like talking or something…I promise I will answer as soon as I can. And I also promise to make the time to talk to you!_

_Have a great Sunday everyone!_

_Much love,_

_Raven_

* * *

**Take me to Wonderland**

**Chapter 1**

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed.

She was looking great, had managed to cover the dark bags under her eyes and her make-up was flawless and her black leather pants were fitting perfectly as well.

And yet she did not feel well.

She was tired and worn out, she was lacking motivation and she hoped that the night would go by fast.

She needed a break although she was aware of the fact that she would not get one anytime soon.

"Regina, are you okay?" a blonde woman peeked into the room, watching her with worry.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm good. How long?"

"Two minutes", the blonde stated quickly.

"Great."

"Ruby, you can't be serious! You just can't…this is a joke, right?" Emma watched her best friend intensely, her eyes sparkling angrily.

"What? All Mary Margaret said…and I quote 'No naked men at my bachelorette party. I don't want to see any guy naked – no matter how hot he might be. I'll stick with my Charming…forever.'" Ruby countered in defense, "And let's face it…what's a bachelorette party without strippers?!"

Emma did not know whether to laugh or cry, Mary Margaret was standing in the corner, her face pale, holding on to Belle, who was trying not to laugh out loud.

This had to be one big nightmare.

Ruby had dragged them into some bizarre strip club full of staff, dressed up as some fairytale characters and the whole club literally looked like Wonderland.

Who the hell owned that club? Tim Burton?

"Ladies, you better hurry. The Evil Queen will be on stage in a minute", Jefferson announced and ushered them forward.

"Mary Margaret, we can leave if you want…" Emma commented, worried how the pixie-haired woman would handle a club full of stripping, naked women.

But right that moment a red haired woman, dressed as a mermaid, brought some flutes and a bottle of champagne and Emma was forced into a seat in the front row by Ruby.

Never had she thought she would end up in a strip bar like some needy guy and yet here she was – thanks to her eccentric friend Ruby Lucas.

And Emma felt truly sorry for Mary Margaret, because she knew that her friend had something completely different in mind for her bachelorette party – something cute and fluffy.

The only one who did not seem to mind, except for Ruby, was Belle and Emma wondered why that was.

Belle had always been big on moral and True Love like Mary Margaret and yet she was counting dollar bills, ready to put them God knows where.

What was going on?

"Oh come on, Em…don't be so prude. You should be happy that you'll get to see some naked skin…it's been months since you've gotten…"

"Ruby, shut up! If you think I would hook up with some chick, who works in a club like this…then you are even more crazy than I thought", Emma snapped back and got up to leave.

But right then the lights went out and Ruby pulled her back down, "I swear to God, Em…if you don't calm down now…I'll have Mad chain you to that damn chair. And believe me…he'd do it. Just enjoy the show…it's only for tonight…and I swear this woman is so hot…not even you will be able to resist her."

Emma sat there, frozen to the spot.

The woman on stage was…different.

And it was not because of the heels, not because of the leather pants that fit like they would be a second skin, not because of the corsage, not because of the purple ornamented coat, not because of all the fake hair, not because of the hat.

Not even because of her snake like movements, nor because of her panther like walk.

But because of her eyes.

Breathtakingly beautiful brown eyes.

While said evil queen lost more and more of her clothes, revealed more and more of her perfect skin, all Emma could focus on were her eyes.

Simply because they had nothing warm.

But brown eyes usually were exactly that – warm and comforting.

And yet the woman before her looked misplaced, lost even.

"Isn't she the hottest?!" Ruby shook Emma by the shoulder, which had her out of her thoughts immediately.

"Uh…yeah…" the blonde stated the obvious, even if she had not taken a look at the naked body of the stripper before her, simply because she had been too fascinated by the sad, brown eyes.

When Emma realized that Mary Margaret was drinking champagne like water and throwing dollar bills on stage – together with Belle - she finally became aware of the fact that she seemed to be the only one uncomfortable in the whole club.

Because all the other guests clearly enjoyed the performance of The Evil Queen to its full extend.

What the hell was wrong with her?

When had she stopped to have fun?

This was a bachelorette party for Heaven's sake!

She should be drinking with the others, celebrating till unconsciousness.

But she could not bear to drink another sip of champagne.

All she could do was to follow the direction of these disturbing brown eyes.

Half an hour and two more bottles of champagne later Mary Margaret, Belle and Ruby were in a pretty crazy mood, cheering to all the strippers, who came on stage, but Emma felt like hiding.

Unfortunately it did not stay unnoticed by her best friend, who waved The Mad Hatter over and whispered something into his ear, which caused Jefferson to break into a big smile and he nodded eagerly.

Emma knew right away that it could not mean anything good, but before she could get up Jefferson was already standing next to her, extending his hand.

And while Emma was sure that taking the offered hand would get her into nothing, but trouble, she still got up and took it, simply to get away from her friends, because they clearly were out of control.

And she needed a break.

Regina sat in the dressing room, covered in her robe, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

She felt nauseous and worn out, but she was aware that she had to do two more performances tonight.

At least she had an hour to recover before she would need to get on stage again.

And she prayed that this blonde woman would be gone by then.

She had caught this particular guest watching her every look and she had not liked it one bit.

It was bad enough that everybody could see her naked, but nobody ever cared to look her in the eye and she really appreciated that.

But said blonde had not bothered to watch her body, watch her moves, all she had been interested in had been her eyes.

And that was something Regina did not appreciate at all.

When the door opened she sighed heavily.

This could not mean anything good.

Her colleague and only friend Ashley sat down next to her and Regina had a feeling she would not like what was about to come, because Ashley knew exactly how tired and exhausted she was and the apologetic look on the blonde's face said it all.

"What is it?" Regina growled through gritted teeth.

"Your presence is required in one of the private rooms", Ashley answered quickly, "I'm sorry. I told Gold you are not feeling well, but you know how he is. He does not give shit about us. I even offered to do it, but they have asked precisely for you."

Regina sighed heavily.

A lap dance.

That was exactly what she needed tonight instead of a break.

Not.

A lap dance for some wealthy guy, who had no manners and would be nothing, but rude.

No, she definitely was not in the mood for that.

But she could need the extra money.

Whom should she fool?

It was almost the end of the month and every penny had to be spent wisely.

"Fine."

Without another word she put on some of her extra hot underwear, some leather panties and then Ashley helped her to lace her corsage.

"What about my hair?" Regina asked, eyeing herself in the mirror.

"Put everything out. Just your normal hair…nothing fancy", Ashley commented quickly and started to work on her friend's head without waiting for permission.

Once her make-up was fixed Regina put on some of her highest heels and stalked out of the dress room with hanging shoulders.

God, how much she hated her job.

How much she hated her life.

But she would not be able to change anything about her situation.

At least not anytime soon.

Emma was sitting in a private room, not sure what she was supposed to do.

Jefferson had offered her some more champagne, but she had ordered a bottle of water.

At least one of them had to stay sober and take care of the others, to stop them in case things would get out of hand. And since Ruby was part of the crowd it was highly unlikely that the night would go smooth.

When the door opened and Jefferson returned with her water and a glass, Emma was glad because she thought she simply could sit here for a while before she had to go back out to the others, but then the door opened again and she caught sight of her.

The Evil Queen.

Emma gulped and the brunette woman glared at her in disbelief.

"Have fun, ladies! If you need anything…well, our queen here will know what to do…just in case", he winked at Emma and left the room, leaving her alone with a woman, who looked as if she would be ready to kill her.

Regina wanted to turn round and leave.

Of course that creepy blonde was the one, who had asked for the lap dance.

God really hated her.

Why on earth did this shit always happen to her?

Gold would bite her head off if she would not do what she was told and so she stalked forward, ignoring her wobbly feet and the dizziness.

Unfortunately the blonde seemed to notice that she was not feeling too well, because before she could have started her performance said blonde announced, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I highly doubt that, you are shivering", the blonde commented, "Please…take a seat."

"No, thanks."

Regina became even more annoyed. The last thing she needed was pity.

"As far as I understood…you are here to keep me entertained for the next thirty minutes. So, no discussions. Sit down", the blonde demanded and Regina sighed heavily, but did as she was told.

"And now what? Wanna have some sweet talk or what?" the stripper asked, a little too provocative.

"Aren't you supposed to be nice to your clients?"

"Aren't you supposed to eat caviar sandwiches with mommy and daddy?" Regina shot back.

"Whoa, now slow down, lady…I was just trying to be nice because obviously you are not feeling well…and honestly…I'm not in the mood for a lap dance", the blonde confessed quickly.

"Why are you here then?"

"It's my friend's bachelorette party…and since she did not want a male stripper…well, one of our other friends…Ruby…she brought us here…because she knows the ridiculous guy with the hat…and she thought it would be nice to mess with me… a little. She always tries to hook me up with someone…" the blonde tried to explain and felt slightly embarrassed.

"I see…looks like you should learn to be more picky when it comes to friends", Regina growled, feeling the urge to leave the room. She had no intention to talk with this woman, especially not today when she was so damn tired.

The blonde poured some water into the glass and handed it to Regina, "Drink something. Might help you to feel better."

Regina eyed the blonde suspiciously.

This had to be some trick, some test from Gold – to check if she was doing her job.

Because nobody, especially no client, had ever cared if she was doing okay.

But the eyes of the blonde told a different story. She saw concern in them. Honest concern.

And so she finally took the glass and took a sip.

Emma sat there and watched the brunette woman's every move. The stripper clearly was in a bad condition.

Why did she even work?

She wanted to ask her so many questions, but the brunette clearly was not in the mood for a conversation, so Emma stayed quiet.

And the woman, who sat opposite from her stayed quiet as well.

It gave Emma the possibility to actually take the woman in, because she had refused to take a look at anything, but her eyes before.

But now that she really looked at her Emma became aware of the fact that Ruby had been right.

The brunette was absolutely stunning.

Tired and exhausted maybe, but stunning.

Why would somebody as beautiful as her work in a club like this?

Emma knew she could not ask that, simply because she did not want to offend her, but the question kept running through her head.

And while Emma knew that not everybody was as lucky as she was, she still did not like the fact that the brunette had to work here, especially since she did not seem to enjoy it one bit.

When the blonde's time was up Regina started to pace, because she knew Jefferson would be back any second and she was still in her clothes.

She would be in big trouble if Gold found out that she had not done her job.

The blonde seemed to sense that something was wrong, because she gave her the same concerned look than before, "What is it?"

"If somebody gets that I have not danced for you…"

"Oh", the blonde understood immediately, "Well…wait…", she took her purse and grabbed some bills", Here…take these…and if…if you have to get out of…you know…I'll just head for the door. I promise I won't look."

"And I thought you were into women", Regina almost laughed.

"I am. But…but I'm not into this…I mean…I'm not this kind of girl…you are nobody's possession…and I would never force somebody to undress for me…that's just not right."

Regina was taken aback by the statement, but on the other hand she was so relieved.

Because she clearly was not into women and stripping for one always made her more than just uncomfortable.

When the blonde had placed herself at the door, her back to Regina, the brunette finally got out of her clothes, but she had to admit that she felt a bit better. The water and the rest had worked their magic and Regina was grateful that the creepy blonde, who was not so creepy after all, had been her client.

A knock on the door announced Jefferson's arrival and said blonde was ready to leave, "Just so you know…my friends are really great. And I pick them more than wisely. People in my position can't afford anything else."

Regina stood there, even more surprised than before.

And then she opened her hand to put the money away, realizing that it were one hundred dollar bills altogether.

In fact she held 700 dollar in her hand.

Who the hell was that blonde?

When Emma returned Ruby, Mary Margaret and Belle were dancing, drinking and laughing like crazy.

But she was so not in the mood to join them.

She wanted to go home, wanted to sleep, wanted to forget about this night.

She wanted to forget about Wonderland and more than anything she wanted to forget about a certain brunette, who's eyes could easily become her undoing.

Emma wanted to forget about a woman, who fascinated her deeply although she did not even know her name.


	3. Chapter 3

**Take me to Wonderland**

**Chapter 2**

Emma had left the bacherlorette party only a few minutes later, because she had not been able to stand being in a strip club like The Rabbit Hole any longer.

And she had not wanted to be confronted with the brunette and another one of her "Evil Queen" - performances either.

She had never wanted to let her friend Mary Margaret down, but it simply had been too much and the others had had enough fun without her.

Emma had wanted to forget about the whole night and about a certain brunette stripper, who had caught her attention – whether she liked it or not.

She had even suffered through one of her parents' boring Sunday brunches the next day, just to keep herself busy and somehow it had really worked its magic.

Maybe because she treasured the time with her parents more than anything, simply because she saw them so rarely since they spend most of their time travelling since she could remember. It had been a rather lonely childhood, but it had been way better than the orphanage, not that Emma could remember much about it.

She had been almost five when the Swans had shown up there and had taken her with them to make her a part of their family.

And Emma knew exactly how lucky she had been, she could have ended up in the foster system as well.

But instead she had been adopted by one of the wealthiest families in Boston, a family that called a shipping company their own.

It was their family name and their contacts, which had given her opportunities, had opened her doors others could only dream of and Emma was perfectly aware of that.

And now that she was 29 she was running her own business and she managed to do it with success.

Emma had always wanted to become an event manager, because numbers and organizing things had always been her thing and she had wanted to be independent.

While Mary Margaret and Belle were happy with spending their families' money, she had always wanted to do something on her own.

And when Emma had gotten some model jobs when she had been in college, she had seen her chance to raise the money to start her own business and that was exactly what she had done in the end.

Her parents were beyond proud, although they had not been so fond of the idea at first, because they had hoped for her to continue with the family business one day, but in the end they had realized that they could not force Emma into something that she did not want to do.

All in all Emma Swan always had been one of the lucky dogs.

* * *

By the time she arrived in her office the next morning Emma knew already that her day would be a disaster.

An exclusive bar she had booked for a rather important event had burned to the ground during the night and Emma had to find a new location within the hour since the event was in two days and rescheduling was impossible.

She could already feel the headache coming, especially since she had tons of work to do and the current emergency would take most of her time that day.

* * *

Regina sat in her dowdy kitchen, the dollar bills from the mysterious blonde in hand.

She could really use the money, but there was no way that she could take it.

She had to give it back.

She had no idea how she would manage to do that, because she had no idea, who the blonde was, but she would find a way.

* * *

It had been a hell of a week and Emma felt so relieved when she left her office around 7 pm on Friday, knowing full-well, that she had done an extraordinary job once again.

That's why people paid her and her company the big box, but still.

She was more than ready for the weekend and for girls night tomorrow, because she had not seen her friends all week, simply because she had been too busy.

But thhe good thing about her week was that The Rabbit Hole and all its craziness was long forgotten.

* * *

Emma had gone to bed early, because she had been worn out from the stressful days at work, but her ringing phone had her out of her much deserved sleep around three in the morning.

It had been Ruby, who had told her that Emma had to come and pick her up, because her car had broken down and that she would text her the address right away.

At first Emma had thought it was some crazy joke, but Ruby had insisted that she needed Emma and so she had gotten up in the end.

Ruby had texted her the address as promised , but Emma had been too tired to notice where she was headed. She had typed said address into her navigation system – it would guide her wherever she needed to go and that was all she cared about.

Until she saw The Rabbit Hole.

Emma's eyes grew wide and she started to curse – of course Ruby had to be there.

Where else?

Had the universe decided to hate her all of a sudden? That was so not funny.

She texted Ruby to let her know that she was there, because she would not, under no circumstances, enter that club again.

But Ruby was nowhere to be seen for a long while.

And then it started to rain heavily and Emma's mood became even worse. Ruby would pay for this, she would pay for this big time.

* * *

By the time the leggy brunette finally showed up Emma was more than just pissed. She had waited for almost half an hour and she was tired as hell.

Ruby practically jumped into the car, but when Emma moved her hand to start the engine, her best friend held her back, "Em…I'm sorry. Please don't freak out, okay?"

"What is it? And where the hell have you been? I've texted you countless times."

Emma's voice was more like a growl.

"The battery of my phone just died, sorry…the thing is…" Ruby gave Emma her best puppy dog eyes and widest smile.

"Don't even try it…spit it out!" the blonde demanded impatiently.

"I…I wanted to call you…but as I said…low battery…I'm staying, because Jefferson invited me to…"

"WHAT?!" Emma yelled, as angry as she could get, "You woke me up in the middle of the night…although you knew that I had the worst week ever…and you let me drive out here and now you tell me I can go back home? That's a joke, right?"

"I'm sorry, Em…really, I am. The thing is…Jefferson…he is different…I like him…and…" Ruby tried to defend herself, but knew she was in trouble when she saw the look on Emma's face.

"Don't tell me he is your soulmate or crap like that now, please…or that it was your destiny to meet him. Mary Margaret would say that…or maybe Belle…but not you. And we both know that fate does not exist…or true love for that matter. Happy endings are for fairytales…"

"Yes, I know that, Em. And I don't even want a happy ending…or true love…but that doesn't mean I can't have fun…now does it?" Ruby watched her friend closely, fully aware where that little rant had come from, but this was not the time, nor the place for this conversation.

"Fine. Go then. I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow…you pay." Emma gave in and once Ruby had left her car she drove off, still furious, but too tired to act on it at this point.

* * *

Regina was stalking through the rain, completely exhausted and worn out.

Of course it had to start raining right when her shift had ended.

Another one of her lucky days.

Not.

She heard the sounds of a car and sighed heavily, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come.

And a few seconds later the car was already next to her and a window was opening.

"Don't even try it. I'm not a prostitute!" Regina hissed in annoyance.

"I just wanted to offer you a ride…"

That voice.

That voice sounded familiar.

Somehow.

And then it dawned on Regina who's voice that was and she froze.

This was a joke, right?

This could not be true.

She looked down and stared right into the eyes of a certain blonde, who's name Jefferson had refused to reveal.

"Thank you, but no, Miss..?" she managed to say while she kept walking, but the car did not speed up.

"Emma. Emma Swan", the blonde answered casually, "And come on…you'll get sick as hell. Let me drive you home."

Regina hesitated, because the truth was that she did not trust this Emma Swan.

But then again – she trusted no one.

And so Regina opened the door of the ridiculously expensive Mercedes and got in, "I'll ruin your seats. I'm soaked."

"I don't care."

The weird thing about the statement was that it seemed to be the truth and Regina did not understand why she felt so relieved about that fact.

* * *

Emma had not said one word during the whole drive and had just waited for her instructions where to go.

Regina had considered to ask Emma to let her out around the corner, because she did not want anyone to know where she lived.

Not only because she was ashamed of the place, but also because it was too private for her.

And if nothing else, Regina Mills was big on her privacy.

For a lot of reasons.

But then she remember that she had something that needed to be returned to the blonde and so she had finally told her the full address.

Now that Emma parked in front of the run-down building Regina became aware that she felt not only embarrassed, but also exposed.

"Could you wait a minute, Miss Swan? There is something I want to give you."

"Of course. And take your time. You must be tired", the blonde answered, "By the way…what's your name? Since you know mine it would only be fair if you would tell me yours."

She did not want to tell her, she really did not want to, but she did it anyway, "I'm Regina Mills. I'll be right back."

* * *

While Emma waited the rain stopped and she decided to get out of the car to get some fresh air. It would help her to stay awake, because she felt the tiredness kick back in.

She realized the light that went on in one of the apartments on the first floor and smiled.

So, this was where the brunette lived.

It was the worst area of Boston and the building was in terrible state, but Emma figured that Regina probably would not be able to afford anything else.

Shocking, wasn't it?

Especially since The Rabbit Hole was a rather exclusive club.

The owner clearly had to keep all the money to himself.

And right this moment she felt sorry for the beautiful brunette, because there had to be a story to her being a stripper and living here.

But Emma was not sure if she wanted to hear it, not that Regina would tell her – she was sure about that.

Because she might be a stripper, but when it came to talking to somebody Regina Mills was all closed up.

And before Emma knew it the brunette was already standing in front of her, some dollar bills in hand, "Jefferson would not tell me who you are, so I could not return it earlier. Thank you for driving me home, Miss Swan."

But Emma shook her head and refused to take the money, "Keep it."

"I can't do that. It is not appropriate. Take it back, I don't wish to argue. It's late."

"Tell me you don't need it…" Emma countered.

"Miss Swan…I don't need your pity or…"

"Stop it! You don't know me…you think I'm some stupid blonde, who spends her days shopping and wasting my parents' money…" Emma fired back.

"I said no such thing", Regina defended herself.

"Well, it is rather obvious…the way you look at me says everything. But the truth is, Regina Mills…you don't know me. Not at all. You have no idea, who I am. I was at the club last week…together with some friends…to have fun. And you did your job…and that's why I gave you the money."

Emma's eyes sparkled furiously and she was breathing hard.

"I did not even dance for you", the brunette stated angrily.

"Because I told you I don't want you too. All I wanted was some peace and silence. And I had that. So you can as well take the money."

"No."

Emma sighed. This discussion was pointless. And Regina clearly was one stubborn woman.

"Please, take it. I really didn't think anything of it. I did not mean to offend you or anything. Nor do I think I'm better than you. I could have easily ended up in the streets or something like that…but I've been lucky and got adopted. So please take the money…I'm sure you will spend it on something useful..." Emma tried one last time and noticed the questioning look on Regina's face.

She had not meant to reveal so much about her life, but it was too late to take it back.

"What have you done at The Rabbit Hole today?" The brunette's question came out of the blue and totally unexpected.

"Uh…Ruby called and asked me to pick her up…but when I got there…she told me she would stay with…the hat guy. So I wanted to go home when I saw you", Emma answered truthfully.

"I assume she woke you up?"

Emma only nodded and Regina laughed bitterly, "I remember telling you this before…but I will say it again. You should be more picky when it comes to your friends. Your choices are quite alarming."

"Ruby is just a little crazy at times. But she has a heart of gold, I swear. She is always there for me…she has helped me through a lot."

"If you say so."

"I say so. And I better get going…you must be tired. I for sure am", Emma opened the door of her car, ready to get in, when Regina grabbed her hand and pressed the dollar bills against her palm, "Good night, Miss Swan."

And before Emma could have reacted Regina had already turned round and was heading inside the building, causing Emma to sigh heavily once again.

Why wouldn't Regina accept help when somebody offered it?

She really needed to go home and get some sleep now, but she would try to talk to the brunette again.

One day.

But before Emma got into her car for real she looked up once again, looked up to the window, where the lights were on.

That was when she caught sight of the small form looking down on her, causing Emma to gasp in surprise.

Regina Mills had a child.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_My apologies for my long absence – our internet connection didn't work and it took the company ten ! days to send someone to fix it. Needless to say how pissed I was and how many calls, rants and threats it needed to get them to actually react._

_I also have to say that I won't be able to update that often in the upcoming weeks, because my dog is having puppies – I'm so excited!_

_Can't wait to have the little "wolves" running around J_

_But I'll try my best not to lose track with my stories completely._

_Thanks for everyone's patience and understanding…and all the love and support. It means so much to me. And I'm madly in love with all the review writers…always makes me smile to see how people react to my stories._

_You are all fabulous!_

_Much love,_

_raven_

* * *

**Take me to Wonderland**

**Chapter 3**

Emma had spent all Saturday thinking about the child she had seen in Regina's window the other night and it had not stayed unnoticed by her friends that something other than girls night had been occupying her mind.

But luckily for her Mary Margaret had been so excited because of her upcoming wedding, that nobody had paid much attention to Emma's absentmindedly behavior.

Sunday had been boring altogether, because Killian had called last minute to reschedule their planned movie night – simply because he had gotten hired for a job, and so Emma had sat on her living room couch, lost in thoughts once again.

Regina Mills had a child.

The beautiful brunette lived in a run-down building and worked as a stripper.

It did not make any sense.

Clearly she had to do it to survive, to pay her bills, but still.

No child should grow up like this.

Emma was aware that one did not always have much of a choice, but there had to be something Regina could do – besides stripping bare for money.

Maybe she could do something to help her.

Maybe, with a little help, Regina could turn her life around.

Why Emma wanted to do something for the brunette?

Well, she was not ready to face that yet. Maybe she would never get there.

Sure, she was fascinated by Regina Mills, but the truth was that Emma was well aware that she could have ended up right the same – if her parents had not adopted her.

And so she changed her clothes and headed for her car, ready to face Regina once again.

Back to The Rabbit Hole, back to Wonderland.

* * *

Emma still did not feel comfortable in this bizarre version of Wonderland, she still did not like The Rabbit Hole one bit.

She was not even sure what was worse – the fairy tale characters or all the strippers.

But she had to talk to Regina, so for the sake of the brunette's child, she had entered the club once again.

Emma was met by a smirking Jefferson, The Mad Hatter, "I see you have developed a certain affection for our establishment, Emma Swan."

"Don't flatter yourself, hat guy. I just came to talk to Regina", Emma stated quickly, her eyes roaming the club impatiently.

"Is that so, huh?" he tilted his head, curious and surprised at the same time, "I'm afraid she is not here tonight, sweetheart. She called in sick. Actually her colleague Ashley called in for her."

Emma could not ignore the disappointment she instantly felt, but she had no time to think about it, because it meant she could go home, could leave the freak show.

"Uhm well…thanks I guess. Hope she will be better soon. Good night."

That said Emma headed out of the club, not even bothering to wait for a reply from Jefferson.

* * *

She had wanted to go home and yet she was standing in front of the run-down building once again.

There was still light in the window, from which Emma knew it belonged to Regina's apartment and she looked up for a while, debating whether to go and knock or to forget about it.

The last thing she wanted to do was to wake up the kid, but on the other side she worried about Regina's well being. The brunette had been soaked two nights ago and so she decided to check on her – she would not be able to sleep if she did not.

Emma got out of her car and entered the building, slightly nervous about Regina's reaction, because if Emma had learned one thing about Regina Mills, it was that the brunette was big on her privacy and all the walls she had built up to protect herself.

"Comes with the job", Emma mumbled to herself and headed upstairs, trying her hardest to ignore the dirt everywhere.

* * *

Emma had stood in front of the apartment door, which was supposed to be Regina's, for a few minutes, too nervous for her own good, because she doubted that the brunette would be amused about this invasion on her privacy – especially at such a late hour.

But then, all of a sudden, Emma started to knock anyway.

She simply had to make sure that Regina and her child were "okay".

If anybody, who lived in a building like this, could be anywhere near okay, which she highly doubted.

It took a while till she heard footsteps and Emma took in a deep breath, preparing herself for Regina's rant, but none came.

Because when the door finally opened Emma caught sight of a boy, who looked at her with wide eyes.

"Hey kid", Emma was totally overwhelmed by the situation and smiled awkwardly.

"Who are you?" the boy wanted to know.

"I'm Emma. And what's your name, young man?

"Henry."

The situation became even weirder and Emma shifted her weight from one foot to the other and back, "How…how old are you, kid?"

"I'm nine", Henry answered quickly, "So, what do you want? It's late."

"I'm…well…I know your mom…and I heard that she is sick…so I came here to see if she is okay", Emma explained carefully.

"She is sleeping since hours", Henry countered silently, his eyes suddenly staring at his feet, "I don't think she is okay..but…I'm not allowed to talk to strangers…or let them in."

Emma was taken aback by that statement, but what had she expected?

Regina Mills might be a stripper, but that did not mean that she was a bad mother. Not even when she was living in a place like this, because obviously she could not afford more and who was Emma to judge?

She had been on the lucky side for a long while now and Regina clearly had not been anywhere near lucky.

That did not make the brunette less worthy.

If anything it made Emma respect her more, because Regina did what it took to raise her child – even if it meant selling her intimacy or at least part of it.

"I see", Emma stated after thinking about the situation for a moment, "Listen, Henry…I'm aware that you don't know me…but I…I brought your mom home the other night…when it was raining. Do you remember? You've been looking out of the window…"

He eyed her intensely, but then he nodded, "Yes…I saw you."

"Good. That's good. Because I really want to help your mom…but you need to let me see her", Emma explained further, hoping that she would be able to convince Henry that she really meant no harm, but the boy just stood there, still blocking the entrance, obviously debating whether to trust Emma or not.

"Okay, you know what, kid…I…I could give you my mobile phone", Emma started and pulled it out of her jeans pocket, "And you can call 911 if you don't feel safe…how does that sound?"

It took another few moments, but then Henry grabbed the phone and nodded – and then he stepped aside to let Emma in.

She sighed in relief, but as soon as she entered the apartment she held her breath.

What she saw was a lot worse than she could have ever imagined.

The place was shabby, the few pieces of furniture in the living room worn down, the small kitchen unit in the corner did not look like anything would function properly anymore. There were countless holes in the walls and Emma was sure the rest of the small apartment would not be in a better condition.

But before she could worry about that she noticed a slight movement on the worn couch and Emma realized that Regina had to be lying there, under a few blankets.

That was when she also realized that it was more than a little cold in the place.

"Kid, why don't you turn the heater on? You have to be freezing", Emma stated quickly, but Henry only shook his head, "It doesn't work and Mister Gold refuses to have it repaired."

"Who is Mister Gold?"

"He is my mom's boss. And he owns this building", Henry explained, sadness shining in his eyes.

Emma felt the anger rising in her chest.

Who was that Mister Gold?

And why had his staff to live in places like this? He was responsible for those people, why didn't he take care of them?

She would worry about that later, because first she really needed to check on Regina though.

Emma went over and knelt down next to the couch, watching the brunette, who was out like a light.

Regina's skin was pale and Emma recognized the sweat on her forehead.

She reached out, but right this second Henry moved himself between her and his mother, "Don't touch her!"

"I'm not going to hurt her, kid. I promise. I just want to check if she has a fever."

"She's been sleeping for hours", Henry countered, not moving an inch.

"I understand. So, can I touch her forehead for a second? Just to make sure if she is running a temperature…", Emma explained patiently.

"Okay."

Henry made two steps to the left, so Emma could put her fingers on Regina's forehead, but the boy watched her every movement like a hawk.

"She's glowing! Your mom needs a doctor..." Emma announced and moved her hand to Regina's shoulder, "We need to wake her up, kid."

"Mom can't afford a doctor. But I can try to wake her up", he said quickly and sat down next to Regina.

"Don't worry about the money…I'll take care of it, okay? But your mom is very sick…and she needs help. Let me call a friend of my dad. He is a doctor…he'll know what to do."

"I don't know…" Henry stared down at his feet, "People always promise to help…but they never do. Mom says you can't rely on anyone, no matter what they say."

Emma did not know what to reply to that, but she felt so very sorry for Henry. And Regina.

The brunette obviously had to deal with a lot of disappointment in her life and Emma knew quite well someone could lose trust in humanity after a certain amount of pain.

She clearly did not want to scare the boy, but Emma was aware that Regina needed help and that she needed it soon, "Kid, I'm serious. The doctor is a friend of my family…it will be okay. But your mom needs medicine…she is running a temperature…and this can easily become dangerous. I know you want your mom to be okay…so do I…please let me call Doctor Whale."

"Okay", Henry agreed after a few moments and handed Emma her cell phone, "Is there anything I can do? I want to help…"

"Sure. Can you get a washcloth or something? You have to make it wet with cold water…and then you can put it to your mom's forehead. And we have to wake her up…she needs to stay awake."

That said Emma dialed, not caring for a second that it was close to three in the morning.

* * *

Whale had not been amused, but he had agreed to come as soon as possible.

Henry had done his best to wake his mother up, but Regina clearly had been too weak to realize what was going on and Emma had been grateful for that, because she was aware that the brunette would not be too happy to see her.

The doctor had arrived about forty minutes later and had earned a death glare from Henry right away, making clear that the boy did not trust him one bit.

But he had agreed that Whale could check out his mom in the end.

Whale had told Emma that it would be better to bring Regina to the hospital, but the blonde had told him that it was no option and so he had given the brunette two injections, after explaining everything to Henry – twice. He had left some medication for Regina as well, with detailed instructions about the dose and when Regina was supposed to take them.

Henry had listened carefully, had made mental notes and Emma had to smile at the smart boy, who clearly loved his mom more than anything.

Even though they were living in a place like this.

Whale was sure that Regina had a very bad cold and she was close to getting pneumonia and he seemed to be concerned about the brunette's well-being, he even was worried about the child. Especially because of the bad state the place was in.

But Emma had promised him that she would take care of it.

* * *

Once Whale was gone Emma tried to talk Henry into going to sleep, but the boy wanted to watch over his mom and he told her that he was too worried to sleep anyway.

But then he had crawled under the blankets and had snuggled up right by his mother's side and before Emma knew it Henry was already sound asleep.

She had to smile at the sight before her and slid down to the floor.

Leaning against the couch she promised to herself that she would not fall asleep as well and since she was so overwhelmed by the recent events she might even succeed..

Regina Mills lived in this shabby little hell hole with her smart nine year old son.

Henry was the smartest kid she had ever met and he loved his mother dearly, which was a great relief. Because they might not have much, but the brunette had succeeded in being a great mom anyway.

And Emma knew that was all that mattered in the end.

She had gotten everything she had ever wanted as a child, but she always had been lonely, because her parents had been travelling most of the time.

And Regina managed to be a mom during the day and a stripper at night. That had to be the reason she had been so tired the night of Mary Margaret's bachelorette party.

It made Emma realize that there had to be a lot more to Regina Mills than she had thought.

And Henry being all protective about his mother was the ultimate proof.

What had Regina been through in her life?

Emma doubted that it would be a nice story and she swore to herself that she would make life a bit better for Regina and her son – even if she did not know how she would do it yet.

* * *

Of course Emma had fallen asleep at some point, but she woke up to a knock at the door in the morning. And so did Henry.

He shot up and pulled the front door open, much to the blonde's surprise and while Emma got up and stretched her sore muscles, another blonde entered the apartment, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Uhm…hi", Emma offered, not really awake yet.

"Who are you?" the blonde asked, obviously worried and Emma remembered that she had seen the woman before – at The Rabbit Hole.

"I'm Emma. I came to…to check on Regina, because the guy with the hat…what was his name again? Jeremy? Anyway…he said she was sick."

The other blonde chuckled and seemed to relax a bit, "It's Jefferson…and he mentioned you earlier, but I didn't think to find you here."

"Emma called a doctor…he checked mom", Henry explained quickly.

"You did? I'm Ashley by the way", the blonde offered Emma a hand, who grabbed it and shook it immediately.

"She was having a fever and I was worried", Emma felt like she had to defend her every action.

"We need to wake mom up anyway. She has to take her meds, right?" Henry announced all of a sudden.

"Right", Emma agreed, "Can you do that, kid? I'll make some breakfast in the meantime."

* * *

Once Emma opened the fridge she recognized that it was pretty much empty and she sighed heavily.

What had she thought?

That Regina would be able to shop everyday like she could?

Of course not.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called her secretary, Virginia Vaughn, to let her know that she would not come to the office that day, because she had some personal matters to take care of.

When Henry showed up next to her, smiling proudly, Emma had to smile as well, "How is your mom?"

"I guess she is feeling a bit better. She took her meds, but went back to sleep, because she is very tired."

"That's good. She needs a lot of rest. And you need to get ready for school, kid", Emma stated the obvious.

"I'm not going. I'm staying with mom. She has nobody else, because Ashley has to work…and I am the best in my class…so, I can skip a day", Henry answered, sounding very serious and Emma did not dare to argue with him, because she did not want to wake up the brunette.

"Fine. But we need to do some shopping, because the fridge is empty. Want to come with me?" Emma was not sure if Henry would agree, but when he stormed off to ask Ashley if she could watch Regina for half an hour Emma knew she had made break through. At least when it came to the Regina's son.

* * *

Henry had offered to rob his piggy bank, because he did not want to take money out of his mother's purse without her permission and Emma had been surprised once again – in the best way possible.

That kid was quite something.

But Emma had told him that it was no problem and that she would pay for the groceries and Henry had given her a thankful smile.

The trip to the supermarket had been fun and she had allowed the kid to pick everything he thought they needed and Henry surprised her once again.

He had not picked much sweet stuff as she had suspected and he had told her that Regina did not want him to eat too much candy, but that she always tried to get something healthy on the table – whenever she could afford it.

And he also explained to Emma that Regina was a fabulous cook.

Who would have guessed?!

Emma had picked all the ingredients she needed to make a chicken soup, which would be exactly what Regina needed and when they came back home, the brunette was sitting on the couch, a cup of tea in hand and Ashley was sitting right next to her.

But as soon as Regina caught sight of Emma, she almost dropped the mug and shot daggers at the unexpected blonde.

Henry sensed the tension immediately and ran over to his mother to hug her tight, glad to see her awake, "Emma and I were shopping…and now we are going to cook you soup!"

Ashley got up and said good bye, obviously aware of the storm that was about to come, shooting Emma an apologetic look before she headed out of the apartment.

"Henry, can you go to your room and look for a book to read…I would like to speak to Miss Swan for a minute", Regina announced, her voice husky.

"Am I in trouble? I know I'm not supposed to let anyone in…but…you were so sick…Or is Emma in trouble? Because she came here to help…she even called a doctor…because you were having a really high fever…and we were worried", Henry started to explain, obviously afraid that he probably had disappointed his mother.

"Nobody is in trouble", Regina reassured.

"Okay."

That said the boy disappeared into his room.

The truth was that Regina was furious as hell, but she was too weak to yell.

And she was not mad at her son, but she was angry with Emma Swan.

Why couldn't she leave her alone?

On the other hand she knew that she owed the blonde, because she would be in a lot more trouble now if it would not be for Emma and that doctor friend of hers.

But more than anything she was embarrassed that Emma had seen the mess that was her home.

And Regina felt vulnerable and exposed to no end, was afraid that Emma might call social services or anything – that they would take away her son.

Emma had to be disgusted, because clearly the blonde led a very different lifestyle.

And what would Emma expect in return for helping her?

Everything in life had a price after all.

"Listen, Regina…I can see how uncomfortable you are with me being here. Don't even try to deny it. But I promise you that there is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just cooking soup with Henry, because I promised him…and then I will leave you with your son…who is an amazing kid by the way. You have nothing to be afraid of…I mean you no harm…at all."

Emma stood there, looking all serious, praying that Regina would believe her, because she spoke the truth and the brunette had to see that. She had to.

When Regina said nothing, but nodded, Emma let out a breath she had not being aware she had been holding, but the brunette did that to her – Regina had this intimidating way, even when she was sick and looked like hell.

* * *

By the time Emma was ready to leave it was already evening and Henry seemed to be a bit sad, so she promised to come back and check on them one of these days. And she gave him her business card, wrote her private cell number on it too, in case he ever needed anything, which made the boy smile brightly.

Regina had fallen asleep a while ago and Emma watched the brunette's resting form for a few moments. The brunette had not spoken much during the day, she simply had been too exhausted and yet Emma had enjoyed her company. Kind of.

When she wanted to pull the car key out of her pocket she found the dollar bills she had given Regina the night they had first met at The Rabbit Hole, the 700 dollars Regina had given her back the other night and Emma shook her head with a smile.

She had put it into her jeans and had not thought about the money again – and now she had found it.

That had to be a sign.

She reached out to give it to Henry, who looked at her in confusion.

"Give this to your mom. And tell her she can't give it back. I'm sure the two of you will spend it wisely."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Because I want to show you and your mom…that there is still some good in this world, kid."

That said she put the bills into the boy's small hand and left the apartment, glad that she was able to help for once.

* * *

Wednesday evening Emma found herself in front of the worn down building in Mifflin Street again.

She had decided to check on Regina and Henry tonight, because the next few days she would be busy with the last preparations for the upcoming wedding of Mary Margaret and her Prince Charming – Saturday was not that far away anymore.

But when she stopped in front of the apartment door with the number 108 Emma became aware how nervous she was.

Would Regina even talk to her?

She highly doubted it, but she knocked anyway, her heart racing in her chest.

It took about a minute before the door was finally opened and the brunette appeared in the doorframe, "Miss Swan…"

"Good evening…I just came here to see how you are doing", Emma stated quickly, hoping that Regina would not slam the door in her face.

"I'm doing much better, thank you."

The brunette's voice was distant and yet nicer than usual.

"How is Henry? I hope he didn't get sick as well…"

"He is fine. He is upstairs at Ashley's to play with her daughter Alexandra", Regina countered, getting a bit uncomfortable.

Two nights with the worst nightmares about Henry being taken away from her had her on the edge and the blonde asking about her son's well-being only made the fear of losing her child getting the best of her once again. She had to get rid of this Emma Swan, no matter how nice the blonde might be, because in the end she would stab her in the back like everybody else before.

"Regina, I know you are scared, but I won't let you down…you can trust me", Emma announced, quite desperate. Why did the brunette make this so hard?

But then she caught sight of a flicker of warmth in those brown eyes – it was gone only a second later, but it had been there. It had looked as if Regina considered reaching out and taking the offered hand, as if the brunette would actually come around.

Of course she did not in the end, of course she cut her off once again, "I don't trust anyone, Miss Swan. So don't take it personal. I'm thankful for everything you have done for me…and my son, I really am. But I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business and stay away from us."

"Why do you do that, Regina? Why won't you give me a chance?"

"Because everything in life comes with a price, dear. But I have nothing left to give."

Before Emma could say anything else her phone rang and she looked down at the display of the cell phone she held in hand and she knew it had to be important, because it was Mary Margaret, who was calling.

Emma made a quick gesture with her hand to make it clear to Regina that this discussion was not over yet and answered the phone – only to go pale a second later, "Calm down, Mary Margaret. Where are you?...what?! Is David okay?...Oh my God! What about Ruby? …I'll be right there…"

Without bothering to say good-bye or anything else Emma stormed off, because right that moment nothing was important anymore.

There had been an accident and she needed to go to the hospital – she needed to make sure her friends were alright.

And Regina Mills stood there, watching one Emma Swan running down the corridor as if the devil was after her and for a moment she felt sympathy for the infuriating blonde, because if Regina knew one thing – then it was how merciless life could be.

No matter how much money someone had, everything could be taken away from them in a heartbeat.

And life would never be the same again.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_Long time no see. _

_I'm truly sorry, but our seven little husky puppies are keeping me busy. Really busy._

_It took me forever to write the chapter, because I've been interrupted countless time – mostly by one of the little fur balls._

_And truth be told…they are way too cute to be ignored xD_

_All mistakes are mine. I tried to write properly, but I'm lacking sleep lately and yeah…you know how it is._

_Anyway…here is chapter 4._

_Hope you'll enjoy it! _

_Much love,_

_Raven_

_Ps.: my other stories will be updated over the next couple of days as well._

* * *

**Take me to Wonderland**

**Chapter 4**

Emma left the hospital with hanging shoulders.

Ruby would not get released before Monday, David was in a coma and Mary Margaret was devastated beyond words.

A truck had crashed into David's car Wednesday evening, because the driver had been drunk and had fallen asleep behind the steering wheel.

And while Ruby had been "lucky", David had gotten injured badly.

Doctors had been able to stabilize him, but he had fallen into a coma and nobody knew when or if he would wake up again.

Ruby and Mary Margaret's fiancé had been on their way to pick up the wedding gift David had chosen for his soon-to-be wife, but they had never reached their destination, because life had shown its cruelest side.

Emma had spent the last days cancelling everything wedding related, because Mary Margaret had refused to leave David's side, had kept sitting in an uncomfortable chair beside his bed, holding his hand.

Now that she left the hospital after visiting Ruby and telling Mary Margaret that she had taken care of everything, Emma felt numb.

She had been so close to losing two of her best friends and while Ruby was recovering quickly, David's fate had yet to be decided and Emma was scared. She was scared for all of them, because nobody knew what would happen and in that moment Emma realized that not knowing was by far the worst.

Being caught between fear and hope, between doubt and believe was draining, could easily drive one crazy.

How Mary Margaret could handle it was beyond her.

Emma couldn't understand where her friend had found the strength to keep positive, to keep faith, because Emma was aware that she would not be able to do it, but then again she never had been such an optimistic person.

And considering the facts, how could she be?

They should be celebrating Mary Margaret's and David's wedding by now, they should be laughing and drinking, everyone should be happy.

But life had thrown them a curveball.

A drastic one.

"How's everyone?"

The sound of Killian's voice had Emma out of her lost thoughts within a second and she caught sight of one of the Swan's shipping company's pick-up trucks.

Graham, a good friend of Emma's and her photographer of choice for her events, was also the on/off boyfriend of Killian and they had offered to pick up all the boxes with the wedding decorations, which had given her the opportunity to check in on Ruby, Mary Margaret and David.

"Where's Graham?"

Emma wondered about her friend's absence and hoped that the photographer and the eccentric make-up artist hadn't gotten into a fight again.

"He has a photo shoot tonight, darling. I just dropped him off at his apartment."

The answer caused Emma to sigh in relief, because truth be told, she would not be able to handle any more drama at this point.

* * *

By the time they had finished putting all the boxes into the storage Emma had rented, it was almost 9 pm and she was exhausted. The last few days had taken a toll on her and a part of her was still hoping that this was all one big nightmare and that she would wake up soon.

"You look like you could use a drink…" Killian stated and Emma only nodded, causing the make-up artist to smile widely, "Great! Let's go to The Rabbit Hole. Ruby seems to be obsessed with that club."

At the mention of Emma's personal hell she faltered, her face going pale within a second, which did not stay unnoticed by Killian, "What's up, sweetheart? Are you alright? You might sit down for a second…"

But Emma's thoughts were too far gone to realize her surroundings.

Regina.

She had left her standing in the doorway Wednesday evening and had not even thought about her since. She simply had been too busy, too worried about her friends, her mind occupied with cancelling the wedding.

But now that she was reminded of the mysterious brunette and her son Emma felt guilty, simply because she had insisted that not everybody would let them down and yet she had stormed off without an explanation and had not bothered to get back to Regina since.

Now that Emma was confronted with it she felt like she had already failed, that she had already proven once more that her promises were nothing, but empty words.

"Darling, did I say something wrong?" Killian watched Emma in confusion, slightly worried, because his friend was obviously struggling with something.

"Let's go to my place…I need some advice."

* * *

Emma had never wanted to share this story about Regina and her son with anyone, but she knew that Killian could be trusted, he had always been a reliable friend.

And she had to get it out.

All her worries about the brunette and her child, about the life they were leading.

Killian had listened all along – without interruptions – and now he was studying Emma again, which made her feel rather nervous.

"You really have a thing for this Regina, haven't you?"

"What? No. Not like that…it's just…I could have ended up like that…easily. You and I…we both know it. I was lucky, she wasn't. But she deserves better and her son does too. Hell, everyone would deserve better than what they've got. And I want to help…I just don't know how", Emma tried to explain although she knew quite well that there was more to this than what she was willing to admit.

She was fascinated by Regina Mills, truly fascinated, but she knew that it was a dead end story, simply because she was not looking for a committed relationship and the brunette was not interested in women – so there really was no point in this.

And yet she wanted to help Regina to turn her life around.

"Well, love…I get that you want to help her and I think you are right. A child should not grow up like that…", Killian admitted and took a sip of his wine.

"Yeah…and I keep thinking and thinking…but I can't come up with something useful to help them", Emma sighed.

"If you really want to help them…stop thinking about it so much, darling. Stop thinking and just do it!"

* * *

By the time Emma arrived at The Rabbit Hole it was already close to midnight.

She had thought about Killian's words for a while and in the end she had not been able to stay at home and go to bed. She had to talk to Regina, she had to do something.

She still had not figured out how to help the stripper and her son, but she would in time.

Emma would follow her instincts, but first she needed to see Regina and explain – if the brunette would talk to her this time.

* * *

The moment Emma entered the club, dove into the nightmare of Wonderland, she was greeted by Jefferson's smile and she could not stop herself from rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Did this guy always work?

"Emma Swam…what a pleasure to see you. Again."

"Good evening, Jefferson", she felt proud that she was finally able to recall The Mad Hatter's name, "I need to talk to Regina for a minute. It's important."

"Well, well…you're lucky. Her next show starts in about an hour, so I might as well let you see her…she's in her dress room. Follow me…"

* * *

Emma knocked with slightly shaking fingers and a sharp "Come in" could be heard, which caused her to open the door and enter the room, just to find Regina sitting on a small couch, covered in a robe.

"Miss Swan! What the hell are you doing here?" the brunette growled, obviously not so thrilled to see her again.

Emma wanted to explain, wanted to say something, when she caught sight of the small form next to Regina's, "It that Henry? What is he doing here?"

At the sound of his name the boy started to stir and Regina started to panic.

The blonde definitely would call social services now. How could she not?

"Emma…", Henry rubbed his eyes, making sure that he was not dreaming.

"Hey kid, sorry to wake you…but what are you doing here?"

Regina was still sitting there, shocked and in fear, not even able to blink. She would lose Henry if somebody found out that she had taken him to work, but she did not have another choice.

"Eugenia…Granny…she is usually watching us when mom and Ashley are working…but she is sick and she had to go to hospital…" Henry stated after a few seconds, sensing that his mother was scared and uncomfortable.

"I see. Regina?"

Emma turned to face the brunette and caught the fear in the brunette's eyes, "Regina, listen…I'm not going to judge you…but you know as good as me…that this is no place for a kid. If somebody else, but me…will notice that Henry is here…you'll be in big trouble…"

"Tell me something I don't know, Miss Swan. I didn't want to come to work today…but Gold didn't leave me with a choice…", the stripper spat out after all.

"I see…well, let me help you…I could watch Henry tonight…" Emma suggested without giving it a second thought. All she knew was that the kid had to get out of the club as soon as possible.

"No! You don't get to take my son…" Regina started to yell, but Henry took her arm and made her stop immediately, nodding into Emma's direction, signalizing her to continue.

"I don't want to take Henry away from you, Regina. I promise. I don't. I just want to help…he can stay with me and I'll send you a car…so you can pick him up at my place. It's really no big deal", Emma took a deep breath, "Let me help…just this once. Do it for Henry."

Regina stood there, watching Emma like a hawk, countless expressions running over her face and the blonde expected to be slapped any second, but then Henry broke the dangerous silence, "Mom, please. Let her help us…at least tonight. I don't want you to get in trouble."

His pleading eyes were Regina's undoing and she nodded with a heavy sigh, "Fine. Only for tonight."

Then she turned to face Emma again, "I will be finished at 3.30 am…I'll come over right away to pick my son up."

"Of course", Emma smiled and took one of her business cards out of her pocket, "Do you have a pen?"

Once she had written her address on the backside of the card she handed it over to Regina, "I'll send Leroy to pick you up. He'll bring you straight to my place."

Regina nodded in understanding and after a moment of hesitation she added, "Thank you, Miss Swan."

Henry grabbed his backpack and got ready to leave and Emma was relieved that the brunette had agreed to let her son go with her.

For one, because she knew that Regina would never let Henry stay with her if she would not know that it would be okay. And it gave Emma hope that the brunette had finally started to realize that she indeed meant no harm.

Maybe Regina would reach out after all?

But then she saw the sadness in the brunette's eyes, saw that she beat herself up that she could not take better care of her own child, even when it was not Regina's fault.

And so it was Emma, who reached out in the end – to grab the brunette's arm.

To get her attention.

To reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

She regretted it only a second later when she saw how Regina's eyes went wide – horror, terror shining in her brown eyes and before Emma knew it Henry was standing next to her, "Emma, let her go...just let her go."

Emma loosened her grip immediately and stepped back, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

All she could do was stare at Regina, who seemed to be frozen to the spot, caught in her own horror and darkness, while Henry tried his best to calm his mother down, whispering words of comfort, assuring Regina that everything was okay and that Emma had no intention to hurt her.

Emma watched the scene, feeling helpless and truly concerned, and she realized for the first time that Regina's past might have been a lot worse than she had expected.

That Regina Mills might be a lot more damaged than she had ever thought possible.

* * *

Once Regina had regained her composure Henry and Emma had left through the back entrance of The Rabbit Hole and the blonde had not even dared to look at the stripper, because Emma felt like she had committed a serious crime by grabbing Regina's wrist.

Never would she do anything to the brunette, never would she force anything on her.

Henry must have sensed her discomfort, because he had given her an apologetic smile, "You have to know one thing about my mom…she doesn't like it if somebody touches her or grabs her. She can't handle it well…except for when she is at work. Then it's all business and she hides behind her mask…but besides that…it's really no good idea to…you know…the only one she is comfortable with is me…."

"I understand. I promise it won't happen again, kid. I really didn't mean to hurt her.."

"I know."

Henry's convincing tone made Emma feel better, at least a little. Because there was no doubt that he believed her, believed in her.

And right that moment Emma Swan swore to herself to never let him down.

* * *

By the time they had arrived at Emma's penthouse Henry was so tired that he was not even able to take in his surroundings, so she led him straight to the guestroom and it took the boy not even a minute to pass out on the bed.

Emma stood there for a while, watching Henry's even breathing and it hit her that there was indeed something she could do to help Regina and her son.

All she had to do was to convince the brunette – if only that would be an easy thing to do.

When she was sure that Henry would not wake up Emma returned to the living room and let herself fall onto her couch, sighing heavily.

She was worn out from the last couple of days, but especially from the incident in the in the stripper's dress room earlier.

Regina clearly had been through a lot and it had to be some really bad stuff according to her reaction, but Emma knew that the brunette would never reveal her past, because Regina did not trust her, did not feel safe enough to do so.

And Emma slowly realized that what she had considered a step forward, the permission to watch Henry tonight, probably was nothing, no progress at all.

Because in the end it had been Regina's one and only option – except for being caught and reported by someone.

Since she feared that she would fall asleep any second Emma called Leroy, one of her family's drivers and told him to pick Regina up at The Rabbit Hole at 3.30 am.

Sharp.

And before she knew it she had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Regina had been nervous the whole drive through town, but the fact that there had been a driver waiting for her as Emma had promised had calmed her nerves a little.

Now that she entered the building, just to be greeted by a security guy, all her fears and insecurities came back.

What if he was there to stop her from getting her son back? What if Emma had called social services? What if Emma would try to take Henry away from her?

"Good morning, Miss. Can I help you?"

Regina was startled by the question and had to blink a few times to get out of the dark circle of thoughts, "Yes..I'm…I am here to see Miss Emma Swan."

"Of course. You must be Miss Mills then. Miss Swan is expecting you. Just take the elevator to the top floor."

She sighed in relief at his statement and followed his instructions, entering the elevator only a second later.

Taking one deep breath Regina pushed the button, praying that Emma truly meant well.

* * *

She woke up to the sound of somebody knocking on her door and Emma jumped up from the couch, slightly disorientated, her heart pounding in her chest.

But then she remember that it had to be Regina Mills.

Unfortunately that realization made her heart race even more.

Ignoring the fact Emma made it to the door and pulled it open, almost knocking herself out in the progress, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity.

When she met Regina's gaze and recognized how worried the brunette looked Emma managed to pull herself together, aware that she had to act normal or she would work up Regina even more and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Hello Regina…please, come on in."

She stepped aside to allow the brunette to enter her penthouse.

Emma noticed how Regina's eyes roamed through the living room and open kitchen, obviously looking for her son and a small smile appeared on the blonde's face, because she had expected nothing less from the stripper.

Her exclusive apartment, the expensive furniture, the stunning view from the balcony, nothing caught Regina's eye.

The only thing the brunette cared about was her son.

"Henry is asleep in the guest room. It's the first door on the right", Emma stated quickly and Regina headed off without another word.

Emma had been careful not to close the door completely, so she would hear Henry in case he had a nightmare or something. The other reason was that the door could be opened quietly without waking him and now that she watched Regina standing in the doorway, looking at her sleeping son, Emma knew she had done the right thing.

"He looks so peaceful."

Regina's words were barely a whisper.

"He does. Do you want something to drink? Water, maybe? Or some tea?" Emma suggested carefully and got a nod in return, "Water would be nice."

* * *

Regina was sitting at the big, comfortable couch, a glass of water in hand and Emma noticed how tense the brunette seemed to be, which made her nervous as hell.

"Listen, Regina…about earlier…I didn't mean to…to hurt you…or…I just…I'm sorry."

She dropped her head in shame, but this time it was Regina, who truly surprised her.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Miss Swan. You couldn't know."

Regina tried to give the blonde a smile, but she knew that it would not be very convincing and that Emma would see right through it, but she was too tired to care.

For a few minutes neither of them spoke, but then Emma cleared her throat, "You shouldn't wake Henry up…you should let him sleep."

"What are you saying?"

Regina stared at the blonde, slightly confused, afraid that Emma would tell her to leave Henry with her.

"I'm saying…you should stay the night. You can sleep in the guestroom with your son…I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Emma knew she was walking on thin ice and that Regina probably would get it all wrong and storm off on her within a second, but on the other hand the brunette cared more about her son's well-being than about her own, so maybe she would accept the offer.

"That's very kind, Miss Swan, but I'm sure you have plans tomorrow and you've done more than enough…"

"It's Sunday. Henry could sleep in…and it's been my pleasure. Look, Regina…I know you are tired…so why don't you lie down and get some well-deserved and much needed rest? Why would you wake your son up and drive through half of the town…to go to bed…when you can as well sleep here?"

"Fine."

One word.

One word, that brought this huge smile to Emma's face.

"Okay, I'll get you some clothes to change and a towel. I'll be right back."

* * *

She had shown Regina the bathroom, had given her one of her tank tops and boxer shorts, which had caused the brunette to look at her with a frown, but Emma had told her they were the most comfortable clothes to sleep in and now they were standing in front of the guestroom, staring at each other once again.

"Uhm…well…my..my bedroom is right next to the living room…on the left…Just in case you need anything", Emma explained and realized how awkward it sounded, "I mean…if there is an emergency or something. I didn't mean to suggest…you know."

She shrugged helplessly and blushed slightly.

"I understand, Miss Swan."

Regina's façade stayed intact, although she was not as comfortable as she wished she would be.

"If you get thirsty or hungry or whatever…just help yourself. Good night, Regina."

"Good night, Miss Swan."

* * *

When Emma entered the living room in the late morning she found Henry sitting on the couch, watching cartoons and she had to smile, "Morning, kid."

"Hey Emma! Mom is still sleeping...thanks for making her stay…she really needs some rest."

"I figured as much. What do you think…should we make breakfast for your mom?" Emma suggested quickly, earning a big grin from her little guest.

"That would be so awesome."

* * *

By the time Regina appeared in the kitchen the table was set, the smell of coffee and pancakes consuming her senses and she eyed Emma in surprise.

The blonde handed her a mug, "Sit down, please. Your son and I made breakfast. You're our guest today."

Once they were all seated and enjoying their food, Emma recognized how relaxed Regina seemed to be and it gave her the courage to start the conversation, which could change everything.

"Henry, would it be okay if your mom and I talked for a moment after breakfast?"

"Sure. Why not."

The little boy nodded and kept eating while Regina had stopped dead in her tracks, obviously fearing the worst.

"Nothing to be afraid of, Regina. I just want to talk to you, because I have an offer to make…"


End file.
